New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1887-09-25

he belle, es, too. thatCaptain Half can make her 90
as fast any other skipper and the general opinion
is that no is about right, for what Captain Half
doesn't know about sailing in these waters is not
worth knowira
Nearly all ;.the crew of the Volunteer are
Swedes and Norwegians, o clean, wholesome
brawny lot of men, with clean-shaven sunbrowned
faces. They are good seamen al of them Hardly
one OF them can SWIM but that bothers them little,
for on such a stanch craft the Volunteer they
would find no use for that accomplishment Some
adverse criticisms have been made because of the
employment of foreigners instead OF Americans on
the Volunteer. The answer made to this is that
the Scandlnavians quarrel less than Americans,
moro amenabe to discipline, and being less restless
and ambitious are apt to stick to tier craft longer
But there will be Americans enough on board on
race days to infuse plenty of Yankee L" git" into
the handling of things the Volunteer
CAPTAIN "Joe" Ellsworth will DO there and
dozen OF his celebrated Bayonne who can
climb like monkeys aud pull like mules and rush
around generally with the ce,erity of WELL mes
senger boy going home Ellsworth will be there
as consulting physician in chief on wind and tides
and shoals and such things. and what information
he lacks about them Captain Berry. of the MIS-
chief and Captain Terry, of the Grayling will sup
ply. but Captain Han will handle the wheel If
the Volunteer doesn't win il won't be for lack of o
galaxy of talent.
THE THIsTLT's ORIGINALITY.
In all the romance of Scottish history there is no
tale fraught with tiv6G@r interest meaning than
that of Bruce and the spider The Gossamrt ;@G2aA
that the insect spun after many trials has inter
woven itself with the progressive national life of
Scotland from century TO century. L" Perseverance,
is one of the notices sac wears; and il is in the
spirit of this slogan that she has sent the Thistle
th.s thn vi. fI,atn
line of disc0mitel predecessors has failed to win.
The news that scotland vas in the lie d created
buzz of excitement when first announced-and the
Royal Clyde Yacht Club were timely IN their chal-
lence-and the interest II arouse has steadily in
creased, fostcred perhaps by the tnge OF mystery
that colorel the building and the launching OF tho
Thistle Never 10 the whole history OF the emp has
there been yacht so much talked Oh. Never has
there been much reason for talk
The Thistle was conceived in secret. shaped in
secret, and launched in n shrOud. She has been
the of moro iAucful skcichlnG pnd more con
ject1rIl writing than the Flying Dutchman's
ghos;ly craft; and Captain Barr has been rs silent
as Captain Wander icckcn. George H. Watson has
a level head. When TIE Scottish syndicate chose
him to oesi N Yacht lie laid down for himself and
foT them IL certain cOurse of action. That has been
maintained through far weather and iou, dcSFte
cIvllinE criticism, ana abuse. There Is no inter
national copyright in yachts; ANA he wished to en-
jOy mono oIy OF bis own originality. lie has sue
ceelel. There is nothing else aaOlt that exactly
resembles the III stle. Bat Mr. Watson did not
curtain his ideal from possible American limitations
only. lie sued to screen it from the whole world
and eve more particularly from British rivals
Hence it is somewhat unfair to him TO inpute TO
him q strategic sccre;!cenesi directed only
against the transatlantic "enemy." 1t must be re-
membere1 that lis competitors at homo were kept
rs much ia the dark as lis competitors abroad.
TIE SCOTCH SYNDICATE
Another feature that impartial additional inter
EST to tne new chalrn -er here was the cOmpoS ton
Of the syn cate. Ii Il hybrid fractional part
OF it is American. as Nj. Clark, the thread man
Ufdctusev CG Newark, vino IS a uic n"or OF IT, - a
natirilzo American citizen though S;oichman
BY birth and, a. il WoaI seem, by instinct Among
those associated w.oh Mr. Clark are NIce-Commo-
dOro James Bell, o. The Royal clyde zach: Cub.
James Coates IT,. AMI [. i. stewart. Pres lmabiy
from his position in the club, M Bell was seiecled
As representative owner
The duties attIchc to this position are not more
~ nominal. 1t Is anything but Slnecure. Its
holder is apt to get more than his due share OF
work and while he may be Gale upon to burden
himself VITA an easily borne load Of glory. he IS
equally liable to be made the sclpegort Tor the
whcle syndicate. ami TO endure vic1rlous con
tumely. Mir. Bell has shown himself equal to any
contingency; He ha, worked like u Troiaa; ho las
had to encounter little didcn!ty which caliel
for all his Scottish tact wei as forbearlnce; aud
he Is waiting nOw foo the glory. Ii he gets thar
he is not likely - succUmb under IT,
shrewd business nan, mailing from city
whore is control n elias, Of morchaut princes OF
whom he is worthy representative. Mr.. Boil is the
right man to pilot the financial Interests Of the
N La n
syndicate will not Ue on: OF pocket Nj. Bells tai
form and eool-humored fare nave become familiar
in the corridors OF the Fifth Ayenne Hotel ile
has made uauy fr'eLis. aad no has a W loi' coI't
OF admirers III the resident Scottish community OF
this city. Bat if they ara proud OF the Nice-Con-
rnodore they are enthusiastic over his wife Mis-.
Bal has a rare fac1lty OF amiablIty that pavc' for
her a path Of golden opinions and she has pluck
energy, and esput de-Ihstle-enolGh to earn the
respect OF all the yachtsmen in the Bay
ONE OF TIE FINEST VESSELS or HER TYPE.
" Hail TO the Thistle vas first sung IN scotland
soon after the New Year. Under shell IN their
ward at Meadowside. Partick, on the Clyde. Messrs
d. l. W. Henderson in January began what,
thanks scarcely les, to their Workmanship than to
the designers skill. turned out TO be the finest
vessel Of hor type atoat.
On April 2G the Thistle was Heated, AMI rccelYed
her spars, having her ontit completed Mt Gourock
She vas as,aiisl with criticism enough to sink
her: but sho wcathered it. anG after trying her
paccs sailed south to begin work. ilor voyage
down the channel as not without incident sue
experienced weather severe enough to founder the
steamship Harkaway; and she had the satI,factl Oh
of et,qctiny n brave rescue from that vessel The
testimonial from tho crew she saved hang, framoi
in her saloon ana If there is ausht in the supersi-
ton surely that shoud be her Mascot.
Her racing career ia British waters was almost
snccession OF victories. Even on the few occasions
when she lost her failure was to be attributed to
causes ontside OF the boats capabilities. winch
she fairly provei to DO invincbe by any cutter OF
her class Comparing her performances with those
of the Trek she showed herself to be on an average